Jacqueline's story

When violence spread through Burundi, 25-year-old Jacqueline, pregnant with her second child, fled with her husband and her son.

“We had to leave Burundi because people who sided with the government were chasing people from their homes and if they found you at home, they would punish you or kill you. We were so scared we decided to leave. I was pregnant at the time and it was a hard journey but we had no choice.”

After arriving in Tanzania at the height of the emergency, the family spent four months in a transit shelter before being allocated a UNHCR family shelter in the new Nduta refugee camp. Today, Jacqueline and Joseph are safe with their children Alikeli, seven, and baby Dani (5 months) and working hard to make their wood framed, tarpaulin shelter the best temporary home.

“My husband has built a kitchen and is building a bed so that we can sleep better. We will make the best home we can for our boys. We feel much safer here because I can keep things clean and make sure the children are well. Privacy is important because there is less distraction and we can be a family and have time to ourselves.”

“I would like a shelter with mud brick walls and a door. I would love to have cement on the floor and a proper corrugated roof. With a door we could shut it and keep out the insect, leaves or the rain. In this family shelter we have safety but I hope that we can have a better future in time. I want my children to have a better life and I know if I can get more work I can get this for them.”